Mindfulness and speaking one’s truth can create a better business
Businesses can only transform if they encourage employees to speak out without fear
Speaking truth to power is a matter of individual and organisational survival, but in SA it’s potentially lethal. Mindfulness leaders from around the world congregated in Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind for a conference hosted by the Institute for Mindfulness in SA (Imisa) in March. Megan Reitz, professor of leadership and dialogue at Ashridge-Hult Business School in the UK, displayed the logos of organisations that have made — or are likely to make — headline news because of corporate scandals and pointed out that what they have in common is their conversational habits. Scandal-free organisations that make it onto the Forbes list typically have an organisational culture that allows people to stick up their hand and offer a wild idea or say they think the company is doing something wrong, Reitz said.
Speaking up is relational: people speak if they are invited to and if someone is listening, Reitz said. Company leaders frequently ask her to encourage their staff to speak ...
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